A member of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra plays the cello during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at UT Health East Texas in Tyler on Tuesday evening. Brian Brennan, chief operating officer at UT Health East Texas Tyler, served as the speaker for the event and discussed his time being hospitalized at UT Health East Texas for COVID-19.

For his entire adult life, Brian Brennan, COO at UT Health East Texas Tyler, knew and appreciated the work of health care providers.

But this past July, he came to truly understand caregivers’ sacrifices as he faced the vulnerability that comes with being a COVID-19 patient.

He ended up spending about two and half weeks in the hospital after the infection resulted in his appendix rupturing. He said his recovery has been long and included some setbacks, but he has immense gratitude for the caregivers who helped him.

On Tuesday night, when he served as the speaker and lighter for UT Health East Texas’ Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Brennan dedicated the event to the caregivers.

This year’s ceremony was slightly different in light of COVID-19 precautions. It featured masks, social distancing, limited crowds and a virtual broadcast as well.

Despite the changes and cold weather, the Christmas joy and music was in the air as people counted down to the 40-foot tall tree brightening the night.

Members of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra also provided holiday music for the occasion.

Brennan told the crowd the symptoms of coughing and fever weren’t really a part of his illness.

But six days later after his diagnosis, he was in the operating room due to a ruptured appendix for open abdominal surgery. He spent 17 days on the hospital’s COVID-19 floor, and got a first-hand look at the work of caregivers.

“The care I received from everyone was absolutely amazing. I learned a lot about what it was like to be vulnerable; unsure of what’s next and really what it’s like to be a patient,” he said.

He thanked health care workers for their great care, planning, instruction, comfort, empathy, motivation and love – at times tough love but mostly compassion.

“All of it is necessary especially when our families are distanced and have limited access to us like it has been recently,” Brennan said. “But my favorite: you give us hope. You tell us about how it will get better, you help us cope emotionally with what our new world will be like and you let us know that we are healing.”

He added that, most importantly, caregivers provide their time.

“Time that you could spend doing many other things for yourself and your families, but you give it to us because you have answered a call to help others,” he said. “Don’t underestimate the power you have to change people’s lives for the better.”

He thanked the health care workers’ families for their support as well as doctors, nurses, food service workers and others. He also shared his appreciation for his wife and son.

After the ceremony, Brennan called his selection for the role a true honor and noted how the Christmas tree lighting can bring some normalcy.

“I dedicated to the caregivers because they’ve had such a rough year,” he said. “I happened to be a patient and had a long stay in the hospital, got to see first hand what they’re doing every day. It was honor to do that for them.”

Brennan said his experience of being hospitalized with COVID-19 was tough but also a learning experience that made him a better person and leader.

He recalled the loss of taste and smell triggering his decision to get tested for the virus.

UT Health East Texas Chief Medical Officer Tom Cummins encouraged him to get tested, thinking that it would be negative. But that was not the case.

“I really didn’t have bad symptoms. For me, I was actually real fortunate. That’s what so weird about this disease is it’s such a wide variety of what it does to folks,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better outcome because I feel great. I literally feel like nothing ever happened.”

As the holiday season continues, Brennan noted health care workers and the community are tired, but precautions of mask-wearing, social distancing and hand washing should continue.

“Whatever our new normal is we’ll get there. And I just want folks to know that hopefully we can use the holiday season to motivate us to get through this next six months or whatever is to get through this,” Brennan said. “It’ll be a long journey by the time it’s done but it’ll pass. Everybody doing a little bit makes this go away.”

During the ceremony, Cummins spoke about the need to be safe during the winter season.

“We want to talk again about wearing our masks like everyone here is tonight. Keep our distance, keep our bubbles tight,” Cummins said. “We all know it’s going to be tough winter. Please, please, please take those steps to protect our ourselves, protect the caregivers and protect our community.”

Moody Chisholm, president and CEO of UT Health East Texas, said he was happy to be a part of this long-standing tradition.

“This is our tree lighting ceremony COVID style; small groups, tight bubble as we say,” Chisholm said. “Distance, masks, everything we have to do today to make sure we keep each other safe or we keep those that we interact with when we leave here safe.”